Customer relationship management system and method

Abstract

A method of analyzing customer relationships in response to promotional efforts is disclosed. The method includes: enabling gaming activity by patrons; providing a server that includes an interaction database that stores interaction data, wherein the interaction data includes gaming activity and patron information; accessing data from the server, using a data retrieval system, based on patron information; defining a promotional group of the patrons; defining a control group of the patrons, wherein the patrons in the promotional group and the patrons in the control group have all engaged in gaming activity; initiating promotional efforts only to the promotional group of the patrons; and enabling retrieval and analysis of data from the interaction database, using a promotional analyzer, related to interactions involving patrons in the promotional group after the promotional efforts.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of analyzing customer relationships in response to promotional efforts, the method comprising:
 enables gaming activity by patrons;   providing a server that includes an interaction database that stores interaction data, wherein the interaction data includes gaming activity and patron information;   accessing data from the server, using a data retrieval system, based on patron information that includes personal characteristics;   defining a promotional group of the patrons stored in the interaction database to which promotional efforts are directed, wherein the promotional group of patrons is defined using the personal characteristics of the patrons;   defining a control group of the patrons stored in the interaction database to which promotional efforts are not directed, wherein the control group of patrons is defined using the personal characteristics of the patrons, wherein the patrons in the promotional group and the patrons in the control group have all engaged in gaming activity;   initiating promotional efforts only to the promotional group of the patrons;   enabling retrieval and analysis of data from the interaction database, using a promotional analyzer, related to gaming activity involving patrons in the promotional group after the promotional efforts; and   presenting a representation of the retrieved interaction data using a display.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the characteristics used to define the promotional group and the control group includes spending habits. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the representation of the retrieved interaction data includes a spatial representation of gaming activity. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the spatial representation of the gaming activity shows representations of the interaction data as contours around or adjacent to gaming activity locations. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the representations of the interaction data as contours include data points with X and Y coordinates. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the representations of the interaction data as contours include data points with X, Y, and Z coordinates. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the representations of the interaction data as contours are color-coded. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the promotional analyzer corrects for effects external to the promotion. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the effects external to the promotion include holidays, weather, general economy, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         10 . A method of analyzing customer relationships in response to promotional efforts, the method comprising:
 receiving data that includes gaming activity by patrons;   providing a server that includes an interaction database that stores interaction data, wherein the interaction data includes gaming activity and patron information;   accessing data from the server, using a data retrieval system, based on patron information that includes personal characteristics;   defining a promotional group of the patrons stored in the interaction database to which promotional efforts are directed, wherein the promotional group of patrons is defined using the personal characteristics of the patrons;   defining a control group of the patrons stored in the interaction database to which promotional efforts are not directed, wherein the control group of patrons is defined using the personal characteristics of the patrons, wherein the patrons in the promotional group and the patrons in the control group have all engaged in gaming activity;   initiating promotional efforts only to the promotional group of the patrons;   enabling retrieval of data from the interaction database, using a promotional analyzer, related to gaming activity involving patrons in the promotional group after the promotional efforts; and   presenting a representation of the retrieved interaction data using a display.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the characteristics used, to define the promotional group and the control group includes spending habits. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the promotional analyzer corrects for effects external to the promotion. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the effects external to the promotion include holidays, weather, general economy, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         14 . A method of analyzing customer relationships in response to promotional efforts, the method comprising:
 enabling gaming activity between patrons and a gaming web site;   providing a server that includes an interaction database that stores interaction data, wherein the interaction data includes gaming activity and patron information;   accessing data from the server, using a data retrieval system, based on patron information;   defining a promotional group of the patrons stored in the interaction database to which promotional efforts are directed, wherein the promotional group of patrons is defined using the patron information;   defining a control group of the patrons stored in the interaction database to which promotional efforts are not directed, wherein the patrons in the promotional group and the patrons in the control group have all engaged in gaming activity with the gaming web site;   initiating promotional efforts only to the promotional group of the patrons; and   enabling retrieval and analysis of data from the interaction database, using a promotional analyzer, related to interactions involving patrons in the promotional group after the promotional efforts.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the characteristics used to define the promotional group and the control group includes spending habits. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the promotional analyzer corrects for effects external to the promotion. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the effects external to the promotion include holidays, weather, general economy, and combinations thereof.